The invention described herein relates to the art of candle making but particularly to a method and an apparatus for making candles using pieces of used candles or using new candle wax by the consumer.
The art of candle making is old and well known. Numerous machines and devices have been configured for this purpose, however relatively few are known to be suitable for recycling old candle wax for making new candles by the consumer for household use. Although candles were originally intended to be used for illumination purposes, today they are often used for decorative purposes or to add to the ambiance of homes Decorative or scented candles have become extremely popular and are commonplace in the home.
When candles are burned, especially in the larger sizes, they invariably leave a shell of unburned wax and wax drippings which are normally discarded. This invention will enable the consumer to utilize this leftover old candle wax to form new usable candles, as well as make candles using new candle wax. This invention will also make the operation of the apparatus safer, reducing the danger of hot molten wax spillage, by means of a novel dispensing method by which a predetermined amount of wax is dispensed into a mold by the operator.
Various candle recycling devices have previously been proposed. A number of these devices attempt to salvage the drippings of burning candles through the use of special candle holders having wax collection containers beneath them. Other devices are designed to burn candles at inclined angles over a collection device. Such devices are shown in Machado, Candle Recycling Assembly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,953, Byron, Combined Candle Holder and Mold Apparatus and Method, U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,945, and Asheim, Candle Stand and Wax Recycling Assembly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,855 B1. These methods, although potentially feasible, are highly inefficient since most candles made today are of the dripless variety. Furthermore, when candles are burned at an inclined angle, they burn much more rapidly producing soot and smoke. Also, these methods as disclosed do not provide a way of controlling the amount of wax accumulation in a receptacle.
A further device is shown in Schitter, Candle Making Device, U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,446. This patent discloses a funnel shaped, heated container into which pieces of old candle wax are placed for melting into liquid form. A drain tube extending downward from the bottom of the funnel directs the molten wax into the mold. A valve is inserted into the drain tube to manually open or close the drain tube. This device, although suitable for recycling old candle waxis of open construction with no exterior shell. This exposes the heater and associated hot surfaces to the touch of the operators hands. It also has no provision to control the amount of wax flowing from the funnel to the mold, thus creating a potential hazard forspillage of hot wax.
A number of other prior art patents disclose methods for dispensing finite or variable volumes of particulate or fluid matter. Many of these devices are intended for attachment to jars or containers that dispense edible particulate substances such as sugar, salt, coffee, etc. Such devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,664,163, 4,429,815, 3,327,905, 3,129,853 and 2,904,230. Although these devices may be well suited for their intended purpose, they are not suitable for dispensing molten wax since they do not have sealing elements between their moving parts. Also, they do not provide means for heating, thus they are unable to keep wax in a molten state.
Another dispensing device is shown in Nolte et al., Volumetric Measuring/Dispensing Device, U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,070. This device is intended to measure and dispense variable amounts of liquid to another container. It provides a graduated measuring container which is intended to be filled with a liquid to a particular desired leveland then dispensed therefrom. This method requires observation by the operator to achieve the amount of liquid to be dispensed. Also, the device is not heated and is therefore not able to handle melted wax at elevated temperatures. Furthermore, this device is quite complex and therefore relatively expensive to manufacture.
It is an object of this invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art cited above and provide an apparatus for making candles which may be used either for recycling used candle pieces or for making candles using new candle wax.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an apparatus for making candles that can be operated safely by an unskilled person.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an apparatus for making candles which incorporates a measuring chamber to allow only a predetermined amount of molten wax to be dispensed into a mold.
It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus for making candles which includes a screen to catch any debris that may be present in old candle wax that is easily removable for cleaning.
It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus for making candles which uses a predetermined heater capacity allowing the apparatus to be operated continuously without the possibility of overheating.
It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus for making candles which is easy to use in the home or which may be alternatively used for the xe2x80x9carts and craftsxe2x80x9d trade.
It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus for making candles which is simple in construction and inexpensive to build.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an apparatus for making candles that may be used for producing candles of various shapes and sizes.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following summary, specifications and drawings.
According to this invention, an apparatus is provided which enables the operator to make variously shaped and sized candles using old, otherwise discardable candle pieces or new candle wax. The apparatus comprises a hollow melting chamber connected at the bottom to a somewhat smaller dispensing chamber. These chambers are electrically heated to melt wax deposited in the melting chamber and to keep the wax in both chambers in a liquid state The dispensing chamber contains a valving arrangement that, when rotated to one angular position allows molten wax to enter and fill the dispensing chamber, and when rotated to another angular position dispenses the wax into a candle mold. The candle mold and both chambers are contained within a housing made preferably of heat resistant plastic. The housing provides support for all the working parts of the apparatus and protects the operator from the heated surfaces therein. A base is also provided to support the candle mold and to create a stable footing for the apparatus to protect it from tipping. A screen located in the melting chamber collects debris, such as old wicking material or decorative solid material contained in old candle wax. The screen is equipped with handles for easy removal and cleaning. A hollow shaft extending upward and attached to the valving assembly connects to a knob at the top of the apparatus to allow the operator to rotate the valving assembly to either fill or dispense positions. The hollow shaft also functions as an air vent during the fill and dispense operations. The candle molds are removable from the housing by means of an attachable convenience handle. The molds may be made in a variety of sizes, shapes or materials. Provision is also made in the handle to support a candle wick.
The foregoing and other aspects of the invention will become clear from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.